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Two Oklahoma Players Make ESPN’s Top Newcomers List

The Sooners had a great offseason, adding multiple players in the transfer portal and multiple high-profile recruits who can to make an impact day one.

Randall Sweet

Two Oklahoma Players Make ESPN’s Top Newcomers List
Two Oklahoma Players Make ESPN’s Top Newcomers List /
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On Friday, ESPN staff writer Tom VanHaaren released his top 50 newcomers in college football, with two Oklahoma players making the list.

VanHaaren defined "newcomers" as both transfers and freshmen, and the Sooners had one representative from both groups make their way onto the list. 

Dasan McCullough, a former 4-star recruit who transferred from Indiana to Oklahoma over the offseason, came in at No. 6. 

True freshman safety and former 5-star prospect Peyton Bowen was ranked No. 37.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 227 pounds, McCullough has the body type, athleticism and versatility that makes him, on paper, an ideal linebacker for Brent Venables' scheme. While the Indiana transfer will likely split time with veteran defensive back Justin Harrington in a hybrid safety/linebacker position, McCullough should be set to make a huge impact for the Sooners this season.

As a freshman with the Hoosiers last year, McCullough recorded 49 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and three pass breakups. If the athletic playmaker is able to improve his coverage skills, McCullough will be an integral part of OU's defense in 2023.

Following one of Oklahoma's fall camp practices earlier this week, McCullough said that Harrington, who has more experience playing in coverage, has taken him under his wing and taught him a lot about the position. 

VanHaaren also praised McCullough's versatility, saying that the Bloomington South (IN) product is an automatic improvement for the Sooners.

"McCullough, now a sophomore, is an instant upgrade at linebacker and gives Venables a versatile player who can drop back in coverage, rush the quarterback or help against the run," VanHaaren wrote. "He should fit in nicely with what Venables wants to do on defense and improve the unit as a whole."

Bowen, on the other hand, is a true freshman safety who has looked good in fall camp so far. Rated among the top 12 players and top two safeties in the 2023 recruiting class, earning a commitment from Bowen was one of the biggest wins Venables and company have achieved on the recruiting trail since taking over in Norman.

While the Denton Guyer (TX) product will have to compete with Billy Bowman, Key Lawrence and Reggie Pearson Jr. for playing time, Bowen's size, athleticism and intelligence should earn him at least a few snaps early in OU's 2023 campaign.

In 2022, the Sooners' defense ranked No. 119 in passing yards allowed. McCullough and Bowen are both players who can offer immediate aid in improving Oklahoma's passing defense this season.

In addition to McCullough and Bowen, former OU quarterback Tanner Mordecai came in at No. 19 after transferring from SMU to Wisconsin over the offseason.

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Randall Sweet
RANDALL SWEET

Randall is a recruiting analyst and staff writer at AllSooners focusing primarily on OU Football and the recruiting trail. Working as a journalist, Randall has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and high school sports across the state. A 2022 University of Oklahoma graduate, Randall hails from Lubbock, TX. While in college, Sweet wrote for the OU Daily in addition to working with Sooner Sports Pad and OU Nightly. Following his time at OU, Sweet served as the Communications Coordinator at Visit Oklahoma City before leaving to join the team at AllSooners. The West Texas native has bylines in the Norman Transcript and is a Staff Writer for Inside the Thunder. Randall holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. 

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